THE SECULARISM OF THE MODERN STATE AND THE SEPARATION BETWEEN SPIRITUAL SOVEREIGNTY AND TEMPORAL POWER -A READING OF RENÉ GUENON’S CRITICISM OF THE ORIGINS OF MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT-

Abstract

Authority is perceived as an essential element in the political aspect, for it expresses the application of ideas in practical reality, in which; authoritarian practice demands action and existence within the societal and social organizations framework. Terms such as “Secularism” and “Laïcité” refer to the idea of separating religion from social institutions, the former termis often linked to a philosophy that should not be influenced by religious interpretations and does not influence public decisions. This term has been associated with modernity and Enlightenment, and was referred to by sociologists such as Durkheim and Weber. Secularism is insistent on separating religion from various fields such as education and politics, and resists social systems that are built on religion and class discrimination, and this promotes justice and harmony in society. Initiating from this perspective, we can consider our modern societies as examples of secular societies.